This was said by combative UK Labour politician Dennis Healey on being criticized by the mild mannered Tory minister Geoffrey Howe in the UK House of Commons in June 1978.
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- Meaning Honky tonk A cheap, rowdy bar or dance hall, especially in the American South; also the hard-edged country music and the tinny piano style associated with such places.
- Meaning The squeaky wheel gets the grease The person who complains loudest or most persistently is the one who gets attention and help.
- Meaning Don't count your chickens before they hatch Do not assume something will succeed, or count on a benefit, before it has actually happened.
- Meaning Time heals all wounds Emotional pain and grief fade as time passes.
- Meaning Easy come easy go Money or good fortune that is obtained without effort is just as readily lost or spent.
- Meaning Two wrongs don't make a right One misdeed cannot be justified or cancelled out by committing a second one in response.
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Phrases.org.uk has been documenting the meaning and origin of phrases, sayings and idioms since 1997. Every entry is researched and written by Gary Martin, with citations to the earliest printed use we can find.
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